


Flameborn

by flightinflame



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Cinnamon Roll Newt Scamander, Gen, M/M, Original Percival Graves & Theseus Scamander Friendship, Overprotective Theseus Scamander, dragon - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-04-26 12:22:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14402049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flightinflame/pseuds/flightinflame
Summary: Theseus finds a dragon egg, planning to give it to Newt. Unfortunately, the egg hatches before he can get it to him.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TriffidsandCuckoos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TriffidsandCuckoos/gifts).



> Thanks to Lourdesdeath for helping with the edits

Theseus had never paid that much attention to Newt's ranting about dragons - he'd grown up an expert on hippogriffs, and really that was enough of an animal specialisation for someone who had no interest in creatures beyond appreciating that they made his brother happy.

He was regretting that now. He particularly regretted the fact he hadn't linked together what his brother had told him about dragons with what he already knew about hippogriffs - that babies had a tendency to imprint on their mothers. He'd known that with the creatures when he was little, but had not thought to apply that piece of knowledge to the egg he had found. It had been discovered during a raid, thrown on to the fire, and the shell was cracked from the heat and blackened with soot. He had instantly accioed it out, and cast a slow cooling spell, trying to bring the temperature down without making it so cold that the hatchling lost its life.

He had thought that he would be stuck with the egg for a few days, and maybe the hatchling for a little longer, until he could manage to corner Newt and present him with a baby dragon. Knowing Newt he would be delighted. He'd probably consider whatever creature appeared to be the best present he had ever been given.

Theseus carried the egg in his pocket, not wanting to leave it alone. It was held together by his magic, and kept at a constant temperature using a spell - he didn't doubt that Newt would do this properly, but he was only a temporary babysitter and this wasn't really his area of expertise.

At night, he placed it on his pillow. He knew dragon eggs were valuable, and didn't want to find it was stolen. The egg was a pale grey beneath the soot. He wasn't quite sure what kind that was, but he was certain Newt would know.

He woke early one morning to a hesitant squawking. Opening his eyes, he found that the egg was cracked, and emerging out of it was a pearly creature with strange eyes which looked almost like a rainbow. It squeaked softly at him again, a strange kind of chirrup, and then wriggled.

Theseus reached out, removing the small piece of shell which was wedged on top of the creature's head, patting it there, running his fingers down its back and stroking at the top of its spine.

The creature trilled, and Theseus guided it onto his hand before taking a better look at it. For a hatchling it looked small.

Worse, he realised that his left wing was in tatters, large holes piercing through the flesh. There was scar tissue there, a leftover from the careless way it had been placed in the fire. He felt a little sick, seeing this creature and knowing it had been hurt. He feared what would happen when Newt saw it - he'd have to convince his brother that the person responsible for this had been adequately punished by the ministry.

Theseus wasn't entirely sure how to sex dragons. That was definitely more of Newt's area. So he decided to play it safe with a name. He sat up in bed, the tiny creature perched in the middle of his lap, and considered his options.

Pearl perhaps, or Opal, or if that was too feminine for a male dragon maybe something like Ashleigh. He never quite understood how Newt went about naming creatures, but then he registered that Ashleigh would actually be quite a clever name for a dragon.  
He turned to the small beast on his hand, which squawked up at him again. "Hello," he murmured. "You're called Ashleigh, and I am your uncle Theseus, I'm going to take good care of you until you can get home." He patted the creature again. "It'll be okay. Your real dad is going to know exactly what to do with a baby dragon, and he's going to take such good care of you, you'll have a really nice home, and I know your wing is broken but he'll make sure you're happy..." Theseus swallowed, then smiled as the tiny creature nuzzled up against his thumb, chirruping again, before tiny needle-sharp teeth pierced his skin. "Okay, okay," he murmured. "I'll do my best until we can get you to where you should be Ash, I hope that you like ham sandwiches..." He put Ashleigh back into his pocket, walked down to the kitchen and prepared himself a sandwich, before sitting on the sofa and alternating bites of it with those taken by Ashleigh, who continued to trill in bliss.


	2. Chapter 2

Theseus sent Newt an urgent owl, explaining he had to talk to him about something creature related in person, but that no one and no creature was harmed. Newt replied back after a couple of hours, explaining he would be in Scotland in two days.

Theseus sighed slightly at that - he had hoped he could hand the hatchling over early so that he wouldn't have the chance to fuck it up somehow. But the situation was what it was - he had a baby dragon, and until he could get it to his brother, he would have to do his best. Finishing the final bite of his sandwich, he scooped Ashleigh into his pocket, then removed it while he cast a few self-cleaning spells and returned it to place. He would need to head into work soon.

The thought of wandering through the Ministry of Magic with a dragon hidden in his pocket was a little concerning, for all that it would not be the first time it had happened (Newt had a tendency to treat every day as though it were 'bring your large and potentially deadly creatures to work day', no matter how many times Theseus told him it wasn't a thing). Still, he had work to do, and he didn't want to claim a sick day over this.

Ashleigh was actually remarkably well behaved within the ministry - content to spend most of their time sleeping in his pocket. When he was alone in his office, he locked the door and placed them on his lap so that he could pet their scales - they let out soft cheeps of joy at this before falling asleep, so he assumed he was managing to do something slightly right.

When the time came, he chose to fly to Scotland - brooms weren't overly comfortable, but he didn't want to subject Ashleigh to a portkey. He felt more than a little conflicted. He knew that Newt would be the best person to care for Ashleigh, quite possibly the most suitable in the world. Newt would love the little creature, and take care of it in a way that Theseus couldn't. He still felt a little saddened at the thought of letting Ashleigh go, and borrowed a friend's camera so that he could take a picture of the small dragon sleeping.

The photograph could live on his desk, and be far less trouble than Ashleigh ever was.

He tucked the little creature up into his coat pocket, casting a slight warming spell so they wouldn’t be chilled by the altitude, and set off towards Edinburgh castle, where his brother had said he would be.

***

Newt was sat on the battlements, looking over the steep cliffs below, but when Theseus landed he got up, walking to him and embracing him for a moment, pressing his face into Theseus's shoulder.

Theseus wrapped his arms around Newt, squeezing tightly and firmly until Newt made a movement to release the embrace - it wasn't how he'd normally hug someone, but it was what Newt preferred.

"Is this a Ministry job?" Newt asked, straight to the point. Theseus hesitated, knowing that Newt had some extremely mixed feelings when it came to the Ministry and creatures.

"No," he conceded after a moment. "It emerged from a Ministry job, but I saw something that I couldn't let pass me by. I..." Theseus hesitated, then reached into his pocket, easing Ashleigh out. The small hatchling chirruped angrily at being outside, trying to curl up smaller on his hands. "This is Ashleigh. I don't know if it's a boy or a girl dragon, there's probably some way you can tell, but-"

Newt stared, reaching out for the creature reverently and turning it onto its back for a moment.  
"Congratulations, it's a girl dragon." Newt answered, before holding it back out.  
"How can you tell?"  
"Because she has a pouch - she's an antipodean opaleye, the females have a pouch in their front scales, they're marsupialian..."

Ashleigh was now whining softly, clearly not liking being exposed to the wind while Newt held her aloft.

"You should put her in a pocket-" Theseus mumbled, aware as he said it that he was correcting Newt on dragon behaviour.  
"She's yours."  
"She's a dragon Newt, what am I going to do with a dragon? She's a rescue, look at her wing, I thought you could put her in your case and-"

"Theseus, I'm her uncle. She's yours."

"What?" Theseus frowned, but automatically reached out to take Ashleigh from him, letting her hide in the safety of his pocket.

"Dragons imprint on the first living creature they see. From her perspective, you're her mother."

Theseus stared at him, eyes wide in confusion as he looked over at Newt, his hand resting on the bulge in his pocket.  
"What do you mean mother?"  
"Well, I suppose you could be the father? Like the mother is the one who carries the child around, so that makes it likely, but the father will bring food to them both while the little one is still growing,"

"I..." Theseus frowned a little. "That wasn't the problem I meant. That... I mean, baby dragon, that's your area of expertise."  
"I will help you with her," Newt agreed, smiling at Theseus enthusiastically. "I'm super proud of you for taking care of her, and she's thriving so far, so you've been doing it right. I'm going to be the best uncle that she has. But you have to be her parent."  
"Why?"

"Because if a hatchling's abandoned by a parent - it's not good for them. They're weakened by it, they might not..." Newt hesitated, and then shook his head. "It's just going to be better for her if you take care of her. I've been working on a treatise on dragon care, you are welcome to use that, what has she been eating?"

"Ham sandwiches, mostly. She caught a cockroach yesterday."  
"She should be eating chicken blood and brandy at that size."  
"I don't want her developing a taste for blood, or getting drunk," Theseus protested, crossing his arms and glaring at Newt. "That would be bad dragon care, she's only a baby. Anyway, she likes ham sandwiches."

For a moment it looked as though Newt would protest, but he nodded slowly.  
"I suppose if she's happy with that - just make sure she gets plenty of hot water to drink as well - not boiling, more like body temperature, I can give you some herbs to add to ensure she doesn't miss out on any vital nutrients."

Theseus looked at his brother with wide eyes.  
"You really think I should look after her?"   
"I think you're the only one who can," Newt answered. "I'll go and get the information for you." With that, he disappeared into his case, leaving Theseus there with the weight of Ashleigh in his pocket. He slipped his hand in, brushing the delicate scales over her head, and then scooping her up so he could look at her more closely. She wriggled in his hand, her sharp claws grazing his skin as she adjusted herself to a more comfortable position. Her injured wing was twisted awkwardly out to one side, but she seemed content with where she was.  
"I guess you're sticking with me then Ash," he murmured to her.

She chirruped in agreement, and he sighed, replacing her into his pocket and waiting for Newt to return. Newt climbed back out carrying a couple of sheets of paper, and began to instruct him. He was used to baby hippogriffs - apparently the key difference here was that she was cold blooded, and so needed to be allowed to warm herself - but not be exposed to direct flames. She would grow quickly, although as she was stunted Newt said he had no idea how large she would end up. He asked Theseus to remove her from his pocket once more - which he did. His fingers were nipped for his trouble, because Ashleigh clearly disagreed with the plan of moving her.

Theseus felt more than a little overwhelmed as the instructions kept coming. Newt had said before that sometimes when he was in public all the noises sounded too loud and he couldn't make them make sense - that was how Theseus felt at the time, a panic he hadn't known since the trenches threatening to claw within him. 

Newt sat him down, pulling a hip flask from a pocket and holding it out, and offering a separate one to Ashleigh.  
"I said no brandy," Theseus tried to insist. Newt nodded.  
"I know, and I respect that. It's just warm water to try and help her feel comfortable," Newt conceded, and Theseus made himself relax. He was being overly protective of her. He stared at the tiny dragon, which was lapping the water, and felt terrified.

He was good at fighting, but he knew very little about creature care. He'd managed to kill a friend's mandrake when they were still at school, and had never chosen to get a pet of his own in case something went wrong. If he wanted to care or an animal, he could borrow one of Newt's. Now, this tiny creature was relying on him, and he didn't know what he was meant to do. He could just see a million different ways he'd harm her.

"Theseus," Newt's grip on his hand was tight. "It's okay, you're doing well so far, and the first few days for baby dragons are the most difficult. She's got through that, and that's an excellent sign."

Theseus nodded, and took the information offered. Newt smiled.  
"I've got to meet someone in a couple of hours, will you be alright on your own from here? I'm hoping to see our parents this weekend, you'd be welcome to join us."

Theseus hesitated, then quickly hugged Newt and then stepped away.  
"You think they'll mind about Ashleigh?"  
"Mother will be delighted, and Father will be surprised - you're meant to be the sensible son," Newt replied quickly, and Theseus grinned at him. He made sure that Ashleigh was comfortable in his pocket, tucking his handkerchief around her for extra insulation before beginning the long journey home. As he went, he tried to plan his next steps. He would have to speak to the Ministry about some time off - he could hide her for now, but if she grew he might struggle to get her there. He would have to inform Percival of what had happened, and let him know his planned trip for next month would need to be cancelled - he couldn't risk taking Ashleigh to a country where creatures were banned. 

Beyond that, he needed to decide where he would go from here, what he would do and how he would best bring her up. He supposed she'd benefit from a room of her own in his house if she got bigger, and a suitcase with an environment like Newt had - those he could speak to Newt about this weekend, to make sure that she was suitably cared for.

Theseus had mastered contraceptive spells early in his time at Hogwarts, and had always been sure that he could avoid an unwanted child turning up. The weight of the dragon in his pocket felt like a betrayal of that in a way - a child that depended on him totally, a child he needed to care for and which he had to manage. 

But Newt said that abandonment would hurt her, and he couldn't risk that.

He returned to his apartment, lit the fire, and helped Ashleigh out onto the hearthrug. He pulled a piece of string from a drawer, and hung it up for her to chase after.

For a short while she was delighted by the game, before exhaustion overtook her. He watched her curled up by the fire, and considered heading off to his own room, before deciding it would be better to stay close so that he could keep an eye on her.


	3. Chapter 3

Theseus woke up as a sharp pain sunk into the tip of his finger. He snatched his hand away, staring down at a rather distressed looking dragon. Ashleigh whined to herself, and he picked her up.  
"I'm not food little one," he murmured, carrying her through to the kitchen. She seemed to understand that food was on its way, and calmed a little, chirruping once more. Theseus tore a slice of ham in half, holding it out to her. She snapped it down eagerly, pulling it from his fingers and curling up over it, pinning it with her claws and tearing off shreds of meat.

Theseus watched her, knowing from hippogriffs that it would be a bad idea to attempt to touch her while she was feeding. That was a very good way to lose the tip of your finger. Theseus was quite attached to his fingers, and hoped to remain that way.

When she was satisfied and the ham had been eaten, he guided her back into his pocket, and headed in to work. She was sleeping again as he sorted through his post, propping letters up on her to see if he could. He was managing quite an impressive tower when he saw Percival's reply, recognising the writing. He picked it up, expecting to be reprimanded for for sudden cancellation. Instead it said simply let me know if you're in the area. For a reason that Theseus couldn't easily explain, that message bothered him. It just didn't sound like Percival, who would never miss the opportunity to point out one of his failings - not aggressively, merely being practical, as he always was. He had expected a letter at least, not a few words.

He sighed, removing the letters from Ashleigh and patting her softly, trying to get on with his work. Percival was a busy man. He'd probably been rushing when he'd written the letter. Still, something about it unsettled him a little, and he tried not to let it worry him.

***

Ashleigh proved to be an excellent distraction, causing chaos which meant he had to try and keep her from escaping his office. She seemed to like the bookshelf which ran along the top of three of his walls. Unfortunately, she was too young to fly, and her damaged wing meant that any attempt she made ended in a rather disconcerting crash to the floor. Theseus tried to prevent her climbing up there, and used his magic to lift her down if she managed.

She knocked things over sometimes with her tail, which seemed to be growing longer faster than the rest of her. But for a baby dragon, she wasn't actually as much trouble as he would have expected. She tired quickly, and when she was exhausted all she wanted to do was cuddle up by his hand and be scratched behind the ears. That, at least, he felt comfortable in his ability to do.

He kept going to work all that week, not wanting to use her as a reason for time off quite yet. He left the office late on Friday, Ashleigh curled up in his coat pocket as she always was, and took a broomstick over to his parents' house. The first thing he would have to do was ask Newt if dragons were able to cope with being transported by floo powder, because avoiding it was making all his journeys annoyingly long.

He was there before Newt - which was no surprise to anyone. He had no idea how Newt was able to remember down to the minute when creatures needed to be fed, and yet was incapable of ever turning up on time to a family event. Some people might have blamed it on Newt deliberately avoiding them, but Theseus was fairly sure Newt honestly did forget. His mother smiled, fetching him some tea.  
"Newt said you had some news?"

Theseus swallowed, seeing how they were both looking at him expectantly. He wondered what exactly they were picturing - news of a girlfriend perhaps, or some other romantic partner. He shrugged a little, wondering if he was going to be disappointing or simply confusing them when he explained what his news actually was.  
"I kind of do. You see, the other day there was a raid, and I found a dragon egg. I was going to give it to Newt - he's the one who can do this kind of thing. Only I rather overestimated how long it would take to hatch." He fished Ashleigh from his pocket, careful to grip her in a way that meant she could neither bite nor escape. Both his parents stared.  
"This is Ashleigh, and I'm going to take care of her."

His mother smiled fondly at him, while his father sighed a little.   
"Theseus, you're meant to be the one who doesn't get into trouble like this."  
"I know sir," Theseus agreed. "But apparently no one told Ashleigh that, so she's family now."

Both parents crowded in to look, and Theseus was teaching them how to stroke her on the top of the head when Newt apparated in, looking rather scruffy as always.  
Ashleigh squeaked slightly when the attention stopped, seemingly pouting at no longer being fussed over. Theseus cradled her close to him, walking over to Newt.  
"You remember your uncle Newt, don't you?" he crooned to her, fingertips petting over the ridges of her skull. Newt looked at him, a proud smile on his lips. He reached out to gently pat her.  
"You're getting used to her?"  
"Trying to. I need to get your advice on a couple of things though brother. Mostly where I'm meant to keep her when she gets bigger?"

Newt's expression made it clear to him that he hadn't considered this yet. There was a brief pause, and then he smiled.   
"I can make you a case if you need?"  
"I'd like that," Theseus agreed. "I ... I don't like the idea of cooping her up though, how big is she going to get?"  
"She didn't develop properly, so I can't be sure. Possibly the size of a horse. Possibly smaller, possibly larger," Newt shrugged. "At least half the size of a normal dragon though. So she can't go to one of the reserves unless we're careful of how we introduce her, and not until she's got fully grown." 

Theseus nodded, staring at the tiny creature in his hands. He felt a little sick - he knew Newt had worked hard when involved with the reserves, but he didn't want to think of Ashleigh on her own. Newt reached out and squeezed his shoulder.  
"I'm not even sure she can go back Theseus. She probably can't fly, and if she can - it'll only be short distances."  
"That's not her fault," Theseus muttered, trying to be protective. Newt nodded patiently.

"It isn't. And Theseus, you are doing well, you really are." He said it in a way that sounded like he meant it, and Theseus found that comment strangely reassuring. Newt was the expert here, and he seemed to trust him. 

"Newt?" he asked his brother quietly as his parents prepared dinner. Newt looked up at him curiously, and Theseus hesitated. "I know you're travelling a lot at the moment. Are you going to be anywhere near North America in the next couple of months?"  
Newt nodded.  
"I can be. I will do it if that'd be helpful for you?" Newt offered, tapping Ashleigh on the nose when she leaned up towards Pickett, snapping curiously.  
"Only if you're already going..." Theseus muttered. He couldn't be sure of what he was doing, feeling guilty about inconveniencing his brother.   
"There's a Thunderbird that I need to release. I need to go there, it won't be a problem," Newt reassured, his attention focused on the small dragon Theseus was holding. "What do you want me to do?"

"If you can go into MACUSA and just meet up with Director Graves? Just check on him, and let him know that I apologise for cancelling." Theseus knew that Newt disliked meeting new people; he was asking a lot of him.  
"If you want this, then I can do it," Newt said softly. It was clear that he was worried. Theseus sighed, embracing his brother in the firm way that Newt enjoyed. He pressed his face into Newt's soft hair, feeling comforted by that. Newt pulled away after a few moments, a soft smile on his face.  
"You should write a letter," Newt suggested. "Write a letter to him. Explain whatever you need to say."

Theseus nodded.  
"Do that now," Newt suggested "I'm going to work on a case for you."

"Thanks," Theseus murmured. "But we'd probably best wait until after dinner, or mother and father will be disappointed," he reminded, and Newt grinned shyly. It was a thing he often had forgotten as a child, easily distracted by anything to do with creatures when he was meant to be eating.


	4. Chapter 4

Returning to work after that weekend was surprisingly easy. He was feeling less concerned about Percival, knowing that Newt would be able to take a letter to him. Newt had headed off to America, and Theseus could wait for news. Ashleigh was growing, but still determined to fit into his pockets. Theseus started to wear an oversized jumper when he was just sat at his desk, so that Ashleigh could curl up there, and he would feed her scraps of meat - ham or chicken seemed to be her favourites, so he was content to give those to her.

In the evening, he would let her play in front of the fire, and head down into the case when she was beginning to sleep. The case was simple enough - just one large enclosure, and a small shed full of food for her. The enclosure itself was full of red sand, and narrow twisted branches, with a pool of water in the corner. She was happy to play there, but insisted on being carried back up when Theseus left the case once more.

Theseus scooped her up again, unable to leave her whining in the sand. He supposed in time she might be happy there, but even with all of Newt's work it was only a shallow reflection of where she should really be. He carried her out and fed her a piece of the steak he was having for dinner. She curled up on the table beside his plate, and he saw that she was larger than his saucer - an improvement from her hatching, when she would have fitted inside a teacup, but still far smaller than Newt's notes said she should be.

She yawned as soon as she saw the fire. Theseus had read in Newt's notes that mother dragons would often breathe fire on the ground before their hatchlings slept so that they would be warm enough, and he supposed that the flames offered her that same comfort. He let her settle down, reaching out to stroke behind her ears, before laying down on the sofa.

Before Ashleigh had become a feature in his life, he had often slept on the floor in his bedroom, in a desperate attempt to stop the nightmares that persecuted him some nights when he was in bed. Lying on the sofa seemed to keep those bad thoughts away - the fire chasing away the memory of the chill of the trenches. He let himself surrender to his sleep, Ashleigh close enough that she wasn't frightened.

He woke to her squawking loudly for his attention. Opening his eyes, he saw a large grey owl was perched on the windowsill, staring inside. Ashleigh tried to jump at the glass, falling short of reaching the windowsill and squawking again.

Theseus picked her up under the stomach with one hand, and opened the window with the other. The owl seemed surprisingly unperturbed by the presence of a loud and snappy dragon which was smaller than he was, but Ashleigh seemed to take the presence of the owl as some kind of threat. Theseus held her close, murmuring softly.

The owl flew into the room, dropping a letter on the floor and then perching on the tallest bookshelf. Theseus settled in his armchair, Ashleigh on his lap, and accioed over the letter. Newt's seal on the back revealed why the owl was accustomed to the presence of creatures. Newt occasionally kept owls, but had a habit of releasing them into the wild if they showed reluctance to carry letters - Theseus understood the thought behind it, but it did make it rather hard to keep track of which owl was his brother's. He tore open the letter and began to read.

"Theseus, sorry for being incommunicado, a lot has happened. You were right to be worried about Graves - he has been kidnapped, and it appears you corresponded with the impostor Grindelwald. MACUSA are asking for your presence as you were leading the Grindelwald task force, but they're sending a letter tomorrow. I thought I'd let Parcelus here take the message tonight so that you'd be prepared. As of yet we have no idea if Director Graves is alive or not, but in the absence of a body I suggest you keep hoping. Please come as soon as you can, I know that you and he were close in the war and if we do find him, he will need a friendly face.  
N. Scamander.  
P.S. I hope Ashleigh is well.  
P.P.S. I hope you are also well."

Theseus stared at the letter in mild horror, trying to comprehend the message. Grindelwald, the man he was meant to be hunting down, had not only slipped through his fingers but had escaped across the Atlantic, where he had taken Percival's place. His eyes kept returning to Newt's comment about them having been close, remembering stolen moments and lingering kisses that he had tried to forget for almost a decade.

A sharp nip to his finger made him realise his grip on Ashleigh had increased. He just cuddled her to his chest for a few moments, attempting to make sense of it all. Then he picked her up, placing her in a pocket - she was able to look out now, peering around at the world as he quickly packed what he could and prepared himself to get a Transatlantic portkey. Going by boat was his normal method, the slower speed more than made up for by comfort, but getting there fast was his current priority. He had to make it to America as soon as he could.

Percival needed him.

The fact that he and Percival had only corresponded by letters for almost a decade meant nothing at that moment. Theseus knew that if Percival needed him, he would risk his life to get there - and he also knew that Percival would do the same for him. It was a certainty, the same way that being sure Newt would know what to do with Ashleigh was a certainty. So he stepped into the Ministry portkey room, took hold of the scheduled book, and found himself whisked across the Atlantic.

As the room stopped spinning, he found himself held at wandpoint by a rather nervous looking trainee auror. Ashleigh squeaked curiously, seeming to want Theseus's judgement on the turn of events. Theseus raised his hands.  
"Easy. I'm here from the Ministry."  
"You brought a monster-" the man murmured, staring at Ashleigh. Theseus managed to resist the urge to point out that Ashleigh really only posed a threat to the man's ankles, or possibly his kneecaps if she was feeling ambitious.  
"She's a dragon under my care, she won't harm anyone, I give you my word. I'm Theseus Scamander."

On hearing his name, the trainee seemed to calm down a bit - Theseus wasn't sure if that was his own reputation, or his brother's that was calming things down. Either way, the man lowered his wand.  
"We weren't expecting you to get here this quickly," the auror answered, and Theseus shrugged.  
"I'm here now," Theseus answered. "And I believe my brother is here?"

The auror nodded, sending a note to fetch someone. 

A pretty lady dressed in pink appeared, and held out her hand.  
"Your accent is just like your brother's," she giggled, and Theseus smiled at her, beginning to follow before he registered that she hadn’t heard him speak.  
"Don't need to hear you sweetie, and thank you for thinking I'm pretty."  
"Legilimens." Theseus muttered. He'd had a few nasty encounters before - it was a gift that very easily lent itself to abuse and manipulation. But not all its users were like that - and if Percival trusted this woman, then he did too.

"Thank you," she smiled. "My name's Queenie, Queenie Goldstein."  
Understanding flooded Theseus. Percival had mentioned an Auror Goldstein, a promising young woman who at times could be a little impulsive, who had a lot of potential if she could learn to follow the rules a little more.

"Oh, that's my sister sweetie," Queenie answered with a smile. "I just make the tea, and get people to meetings on time."  
Theseus nodded, following her along the corridors, into the Major Investigations Office. A dozen aurors were there, pouring over maps of various states. As the door opened, President Picquery looked up and walked over.  
"Mister Scamander-Is that a dragon?"

"It might be?" Theseus conceded, petting Ashleigh on the top of the head. "She's too little to be left at home right now, and anyway, when we find Percival, I want him to meet her."

"You know about Director Graves then?"  
"Have you found him?"  
"Not yet," President Picquery sighed, shaking his hand. "For now, I'd rather you focus your efforts on seeing what you can learn from Grindelwald."  
"I want to help-"  
"You'll be of most help if you can get that man to let us know what he has done. He's told a lot of lies, but you know him. You can handle him."

Theseus nodded. He heard a door open behind him, and someone ran forwards. Arms wrapped around his stomach, and he leaned back as he felt a familiar face press into his shoulder.  
"Hello Newt," he greeted his brother. "I don't suppose I could persuade you to babysit the dragon could I?"  
"As long as she won't chase Pickett," Newt answered, reaching out to pull Ashleigh from his pocket. 

Ashleigh chirruped sadly, trying to pull away from Newt towards Theseus. Theseus felt a little sick, and wrapped his arms around himself.  
"I think she'll be calmer if she can see you," Newt suggested. Theseus hesitated, glancing at Picquery.

"Scamander, your dragon and your brother can join me in supervising the interview."  
"Thank you." Theseus murmured.  
"Theseus, can I borrow your coat?" Newt asked. "I think she'd enjoy being able to smell you."

Theseus removed his coat, holding it out to his brother and watching as Ashleigh was swaddled within it. He couldn't quite comprehend how strange his life had become, but if this meant that Ashleigh would remain calm as he interrogated the man who had kidnapped Percival, then he would do it.   
Knowing that Ashleigh would be calm was one thing. Theseus felt he wouldn't be able to calm as he faced the man there, but at the same time he knew he had to remain in control.

President Picquery walked Theseus to the interrogation room, as Newt outlined what they already knew.  
"You need to find out where the Director is, if there's any chance he's alive," the President told him. "He's our priority right now. Everything else... Everything else matters, but it's no good to us if we lose him."  
"Thank you," Theseus replied, his voice shaking a little. He wasn't sure that he could have managed if he had been asked to do something else. Percival meant a lot to him, and he wasn't willing to sacrifice him in exchange for a few scraps of information for MACUSA. He had an ace in the hole from the last time Grindelwald had been captured, and it was one he didn't want to play unless it was for Percival's life. He reached out to scratch Ashleigh gently on the top of her head.  
"I won't be long girl, you look after Uncle Newt," he murmured, then nodded. He was ready. He hesitated, then passed his wand to Newt - it would be better if he wasn't armed when he went in there. Too much could potentially go wrong if he walked in there armed.

He opened the door, allowing the President to seal it behind him, and walked into a room. There was a desk with two chairs, one of which was already occupied by Grindelwald. Two aurors stood by their door, their wands out so that they would be able to attack in a moment if it became necessary. 

Grindelwald looked up, and then closed his eyes, concentration passing across his face as his appearance shifted. It was Percival's face the man used to gaze up at him.  
"Theseus."  
"Gellert," Theseus greeted him, sitting down opposite and indicating for the other aurors to move closer. The man was restrained, but Theseus had had him slip through his fingers often enough that he knew it didn't count for much.  
"So good of you to come and visit, Theseus. He said he hasn't seen you in years, but still, such fondness..." Grindelwald began, and Theseus felt his skin crawl. He could already feel himself wanting to bargain, but that wasn't how this worked. He ignored the hunger he could see in the face which was so like the man he loved.

"I had to come and visit, you made quite a scene. An obscurus, really? And one you thought was a squib..." Theseus tutted a little, crossing his arms and making a show of leaning back in his chair.  
"Everyone makes mistakes," came the reply, Grindelwald's voice on Percival's lips. "He was so happy to see you that he didn't even think."

Theseus sighed slightly, trying to hide the anger which pulsed within him. Getting angry would mean handing more power to the man before him.  
"I am surprised you can make yourself this handsome."

The man's eyes closed once more, and Theseus found himself facing his own mirror - disconcerting, but a strange relief after Percival's expressions.  
"So what was your plan, expose wizardkind and then-" Theseus asked, and Grindelwald shook his head.  
"Take the obscurial back to Europe. Unleash it on the nations that are preparing for war, allow the Muggles to slaughter each other and then when that happens and society collapses step in - perhaps we'll get a return of the trenches..." he paused, looking at Theseus curiously. "What was the name of that Muggle boy you were so fond of, who died in your arms? Adam? Alan? Ash-"  
"We're not here to talk about the war," Theseus snapped, his temper beginning to fray. He wanted to punch the man sitting in front of him, but he knew that was one way he could be sure he wouldn’t get any answers. "The old war or your new one."

"You want to know where he is, don't you?"  
Theseus paused and looked at him, staring straight into his eyes.  
"It's the holidays right now. If you were in a European prison, I'm sure there'd be the chance for an interview." He reached into his pocket, and unfolded the paper, holding it out to the prisoner.  
"If Grindelwald is willing to cooperate in this interview, I will come and speak to him," was written on the parchment, followed by the most elaborate signature Theseus had ever seen. For a few moments silence fell between them, and Grindelwald's face returned to its own form.

Slowly, the prisoner nodded.

Theseus made his expression stay neutral as he waited for the next step in this dance. The prisoner sighed, and turned to him.  
"When I left him he was alive, but that was a few days ago. He's in his basement. But you will only be able to get to him if you wear the tie pin I have been using."  
Theseus nodded, getting up from his seat. He would continue the interrogation later, but for now getting Percival back was the priority. The door opened as he approached, and he made it out of the room before he collapsed back against the wall, his legs weakening.

Newt was at his side in an instant, pressing Ashleigh into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her, murmuring softly, and letting her cuddle into his chest. She calmed him, until he was able to look at the President and nod.  
"You heard the man," he murmured, smiling at the soft chirrups of contentment Ashleigh was making. He hated when Grindelwald took his face, found it disorientating. But Ashleigh knew who her father was, and that helped make everything settle in his mind.  
"What were you offering in there?" Picquery asked.  
"Whatever it took to get him to tell us what we needed to know," Theseus answered calmly. "Look, we need to get to his basement. I want to go-"  
"It could be a trap."

He turned, looking the President in the eye, his fingers still rubbing along Ashleigh's eye ridges.   
"I know it could be a trap ma'am. I still want to go."

For an awful few moments, he thought he would be denied, but she nodded, and relief flooded through him. Newt stood near to him as the preparations for the additional search began.

The President handed Theseus the tie pin, and he put it onto his shirt.  
"Do you need me to take Ashleigh?" Newt asked, and Theseus shook his head.  
"I want her there. I've seen the kind of spells Grindelwald can use. He's very good at precise targeting, it's far more likely that I'll go in and trigger mine or Percival's death than hers."

Playing the words back in his head, he could understand why that particular announcement didn't seem to relax Newt as much as he had hoped. Still, Newt seemed to accept it, and hung back a little as the others led the way to Graves' apartment. 

It was a building he had read about in Percival's letters, but never been to. After the war was over, he and Percival had chosen to remain professional, to limit their contact to the occasional letter and when they met at business functions. It was strange, being here now. 

The entire house had already been searched by the aurors multiple times, but Theseus joined them in another search, the tie pin revealing a couple of traps that had previously been missed. Even as every bone in his body screamed at him to get to the basement as soon as he could, he made himself check the surrounding rooms first. It was too risky otherwise.

When the time came, an auror made their way down to the basement. He followed, one hand holding Ashleigh, the other hand resting on the pin, and found himself in a room which overlaid the basement itself.

The auror wasn't here. In the corner though, there was a figure on hands and knees, which tried to move away. He cast a quick lumos, flinching slightly when he saw the bruises which littered Percival's body, the way the bindings cut into the wrists, and the sheer terror on his face. He made his way forwards carefully.

Percival flinched backwards - still alive, but weak and exhausted by torture.  
"Easy," Theseus murmured. "It's safe now, it's me, there's a pack of tea just arrived from home-" It was what he'd always said in the war to calm Percival down. Today, it didn't seem to be working, instead the man flinched.  
"I'm sorry," Percival whispered.   
"It's okay, you're okay," Theseus tried to calm him, but it wasn't working, the man struggling despite his obvious fatigue.  
"It's me," Theseus murmured, and Percival shook his head. 

A sharp nip to Theseus's finger meant his grip on Ashleigh loosened, and she tumbled to the floor. She shook herself, and then made her way over to Percival, sniffing at him, and then sticking out her pale grey tongue and licking his cheek.

He stared at her, disbelief warring with fear in his eyes. He took a couple of deep breaths, seeming to be gathering up the strength to say something more. When he did speak, his words were accompanied by a soft laugh which sounded somewhere between nervous and hysterical.  
"That's a dragon."

"It is a dragon," Theseus agreed with as much good humour as he could manage given the circumstances. Seeing the state that Percival was in made him want to scream, but that wouldn't help either of them. "I think she likes you."

"I mean, I know attack dragons have been a thing-" Percival murmured, managing to shift enough that he could stroke Ashleigh under her chin. The movement clearly pained him, and he was trying not to wince. She squeaked her approval, nuzzling into his hand eagerly in the hope of further attention being forthcoming. He continued to fuss over her, taking a few breaths before he found the strength to continue. "But I think they're normally a little bigger."

"Blame my brother," Theseus said quietly, sitting down in front of Percival - that way he was closer to his level. He put his wand beside him - out of Percival's reach, but visible. 

Percival's eyes flicked to the wand, and his lips drew back in a snarl.  
"What have you done to him you bastard?" he spat, fire surging through him before another burst of pain seemed to crush that brief show of spirit.  
"Perce," Theseus sighed. "It is me. I don't know what I can say to convince you."  
Percival hesitated. Theseus could see the longing in his eyes. He wanted it to be true. He opened his mouth, then shook his head and turned his attention back to the dragon.  
"What's her name?"  
"This is Ashleigh," Theseus introduced her proudly. "I'm her mother, apparently."

"You gave your dragon a pun as a name?"  
"Well what would you call her?"  
"Something majestic," Percival muttered, and got licked in the face again by the baby dragon, who seemed to quite fancy having a majestic name. "Opal perhaps?"  
"I didn't know if she was a girl or boy when I named her," Theseus muttered defensively, and Percival looked at him curiously.  
"Alright, let's... let's say that you are Theseus," he murmured, screwing his face up slightly in pain. "Talk me through what happens next."

"I get you out of here," Theseus answered quickly. "There are aurors in your basement, he's done a layering trick, the tie pin is what got me in here. And once you're out, I give you some healing potions, and take you to MACUSA. They'll want to talk to you, and I'll have to interrogate Grindelwald, and the bastard will be insufferable because I brought him a love letter from his ex. And then when we're both done, I'm hoping I'll be able to put a chair next to your hospital bed, and keep an eye on you to make sure you don't do anything stupid."  
"You're the one who doesn't seem aware of the concept of self-preservation," Percival answered, and then slowly he nodded. He bit his lip as fear flickered in his eyes once more.

"Would you kiss me?" Percival asked, his voice shaking a little as he said it.  
Theseus hesitated, then leaned in, kissing Percival softly, his hands gently resting on top of Percival's own. When he pulled away, Percival nodded to himself.  
"You're going to have to carry me," Percival muttered.  
"I'll carry you if you can carry Ashleigh?" Theseus negotiated, using his magic to guide Percival into his arms. He wrapped both his arms around him, cradling him to his chest before beginning to walk towards the stairs.

Percival groaned slightly at the movement, and Theseus shushed him gently, muttering apologies under his breath. Glancing back at where Percival had been lying, Theseus was rather concerned about the amount of blood on the floor. Still, he could hardly accio it back into Percival now - better to carry him outside, to where the healers were waiting.

Percival whimpered, and as they approached the threshold his hands clenched and eyes screwed shut, breath increasing as sweat beaded on his forehead. Theseus immediately backed away, and as he did so Percival seemed to relax.  
"What happened?" Theseus asked.  
"It hurt," Percival murmured once he was placed safely by the back wall, no longer in a puddle of blood.

Theseus nodded considering. There were two options - either Percival was cursed, or this room was designed to only be entered by someone wearing the shirt pin. The simplest way to discover which would be to test it, so he took the tie pin off, walking to the door. As he approached it he felt needle-like pain spreading through his body. He cursed as the pain became too great - he could try and carry Percival through, but he didn't know what other effects the curse would have. 

He swallowed. He didn't want to leave Percival alone, but he needed to see what would happen - if he could just throw the tie pin through - but even then Percival was too weak. He considered. He'd have to go out, explain what had happened, and come back in. He turned to Percival.   
"I'm going to go out, and throw the tie pin in. I'm going to need you to crawl out with it in your hand."

Percival nodded, but Theseus wasn't sure he could do it. He hesitated, wondering about tying some string to it or something. With no better option, he embraced Percival, patting Ashleigh on the head.  
"I promise you I'll be back soon Look after her." With that, he walked away from the cell. The pain didn't come this time, but he felt ill at abandoning his friend.


	5. Chapter 5

"Well?" an auror asked when he emerged, frowning a little.  
"He's alive but in a bad way. I need some string," Theseus answered, twisting so that he could look back over his shoulder. The room looked completely empty now that the layer that contained Percival had been left.

String was found, and he threaded it carefully around the tie pin. He took the tie pin, and threw it down the steps, gripping the string.

The tie pin cluttered across the floor, echoing on the stone.  
"Hold this," Theseus ordered, handing the string over to the auror and walking down. He gripped the tie pin, but there was nothing.

The bastard had managed to charm it so that it was only when someone went down from the top of the stairs, wearing the pin, that the room could be accessed. It was perfect, because it made it impossible for more than one person to leave.

For a moment he imagined an ever revolving series of aurors, each trapped for a day before the next came to relieve them. He pushed that thought aside.  
"I'm going to go back in, and get him out. I won't be able to get out if he's out, but I'll be alright. He's hurt badly, so I need people ready to get him up the stairs as soon as he emerges."

The auror nodded, without arguing. Theseus was thankful for that - he didn't want to have to face arguing about this. Percival was fairly badly injured, so he'd struggle to get out. Theseus knew he'd have to take a lot of pain himself to get him close enough to the stairs. But it was worth it if it would mean Percival survived.

He headed back down the stairs. Percival looked up when he arrived, frowning a little.  
"You came back."  
"Of course I did," Theseus told him, walking over and crouching down, tickling Ashleigh under the chin. "Couldn't leave you here."  
"It..." Percival began, then closed his eyes. "I hope it is you."  
"I know," Theseus murmured, embracing him and then carefully clipping the shirt pin to what remained of his clothing. "We've got to get you out of here."

"It hurt," Percival murmured, and Theseus felt like his heart was breaking. He embraced Percival, trying to wrap his arms around him.  
"It's not going to hurt this time," Theseus promised. "It's... it's the tie pin, that can undo the curse."  
Percival nodded slowly, looking at Theseus with clear pain in his eyes, but also trust shining there. He had faith, even if he was in denial about it.

Theseus wrapped his arms around him, walking with him across the length of the cell. There was no visible pain on Percival's face, but he could feel the pain beginning to build within him, tearing into his skin as he tried to make his way to the door. Percival had been shattered by weeks of torture - there was no chance that he could get to the door alone. But Theseus could get him there, even if the pain was almost overwhelming. Sweat was beading on his face, and he stumbled. He paused for a few seconds, placing Percival down on the ground and taking a few deep breaths. Ashleigh squeaked up at him in concern, leaning in to lick at his face as well.

"Easy girl," he murmured gently. "You go with Percival, Percival, make sure they get her to Newt..." He frowned a little. He could only hope this wasn't hurting her.

Percival nodded quickly, wrapping his hands around her.  
"I will." There was concern in his eyes, but he was too weak to fully track what was going on. Theseus was grateful for that - he didn't want to have to explain to him that he'd be trapped. He climbed to his feet, guiding Percival. The pain was so bad he had to pause again, crouching and gasping slightly. Percival was just too injured to move on his own, and Theseus couldn't leave it any longer.   
Percival had survived so far on strength of will, but that wouldn't be enough forever. 

On his hands and knees, trying not to whimper at the agony, Theseus guided Percival the remaining distance to the stairs. 

It felt like he was bleeding from every pore. But he didn't dare look to see. He had to get Percival out. He pushed him forwards again, and Percival managed to shuffle himself forwards a little on the steps. As he began to fade, Theseus threw himself backwards, away from the pain.

He lay back to catch his breath, focusing on what he had done. He had got Percival out. That was enough.  
He was in quite a lot of pain, even now that he was away from the barrier - not enough to stop him, but enough to make him reluctant to approach. He ached, and he was full of hatred for the man who had done this to Percival. He was a monster, but then Theseus knew that. He could hear some noise from outside, but he knew he couldn't investigate.

For one terrifying moment he imagined Grindelwald walking in, either carrying Percival's body or wearing his face. Or maybe when he was relieved from his time in here, he would find Percival hadn't made it. That thought scared him, and he curled up, wrapping his arms around himself in an attempt to soothe. He wondered if Newt's case might be a solution. He couldn't be trapped here forever.

Unless Grindelwald had come. If he'd sent Percival straight to him, and now Grindelwald was waiting. He could imagine him sending him back. It was terrifying, and there was nothing he could do from in here.

Theseus hated feeling vulnerable, feeling helpless. But he was now trapped, and he couldn't escape. He yelled out in frustration, howling in pain and concern and sheer terror, the noise escaping him. He was screaming and no one could hear.

He curled up, pressing his face to his knees, hearing whimpering escape. Flashes from the trenches drifted in front of his mind. He could hear the yelling, taste the mud, smell the smoke. A terrified yelp came as sudden heat brushed at his hand, and he thought of explosions, of the fires that had swept through, of Newt's letters on dragons - and winced as the pain in his hand sharpened.

Carefully he opened his eyes, to see Ashleigh was there. He cursed, picking her up and holding her against him. He didn't understand. She had escaped, and he had nothing for her now. She chirruped, nuzzling at him, and he sighed.  
"I've got no food for you darling," he told her. "You're going to starve, or eat me. And really, my parents aren't expecting me to be the one who is eaten by a dragon..."

He patted the top of her head, and she leaned into it, nuzzling his hand. She chirruped, trying to guide his hand to her damaged wing membrane. He carefully stroked his fingers over it, and flinched at what he found.

Someone had wrapped string around her injured wing, and Theseus instantly felt a flood of anger that she had been hurt. He untangled the string, and a metallic clank sounded, a moment later paper drifting down. 

He picked up the paper, staring at it. Whoever had written it was trembling, their calligraphy barely readable. Still, he could make out the two words.  
"Hurry up." It said. He didn't understand that. He couldn't get out. 

Ashleigh nuzzled his hand, and he reached down, fingers brushing the shape of the scorpion pin. She'd brought it back to him. He embraced her.  
"I promise you girl, I'm going to get you the biggest ham sandwich you've ever seen," he murmured, and she chirruped to him in response. He smiled, picking her up and placing her in his pocket.

The thought of approaching the door frightened him, but he fastened the pin in place on his shirt. Hurry up. He picked up the paper again - recognised Percival's writing in the shaking parchment.

Percival was waiting for him.

Holding the pocket which Ashleigh was resting in, he gathered his strength and got to his feet, walking forwards. If he had to run, he would, but he hoped that it would be doable. The pain wasn't rising this time. 

He reached the stairs and began to walk up. He was still afraid, but it wasn't hurting this time. He emerged, panting, to where the aurors were waiting.  
"Director Graves has been taken to the hospital," one of them said, as another came forwards to check him over.

"I want to see him," Theseus demanded, the room beginning to swim around him - it wasn't the pain, but fear that was overwhelming. The memories of the trenches had started again, only this time he missed the certainty that Percival would be there, that he would have support. He couldn't see where he was any more. An arm grabbed him, and he whimpered, but he heard a strange noise, like a baby bird. 

Ashleigh.

He reached down and put his hand in his pocket, feeling the form of his dragon, and trying to believe where he was.

Time seemed to pass in a blur. He was being spoken to, but he didn't know who by or why, and he couldn't concentrate on the words. Ashleigh was a reassuring presence, nuzzling into his leg, but he couldn't understand anything beyond her.

When he began to clear his mind, he found that he was sat in a chair beside a bed. He frowned, closing his eyes in case he was imagining things. Opening his eyes, he saw that Percival was in the bed, looking up at him. He was thin and untidy, his hair tangled, but his eyes were bright as he stared straight at Theseus without flinching.  
"Hello," he murmured. Theseus nodded his own greeting, trying to smile.

"Are you real?" Theseus mumbled, and Percival laughed softly.  
"I could ask you the same thing," Percival answered, shaking his head fondly. "I'm sorry. I am real, but that spell seems to have done more than caused pain... The healers say the effect will be temporary, but you exposed yourself to its full effects. You idiot."

Theseus shrugged, reaching out for his hand, running his fingers over familiar callouses.   
"You needed to get out, and you weren't getting out of it otherwise. Thank you for Ashleigh."  
"I had to get her back in there, and needed to get you out - she was very frightened when you weren't there. Kept running down into the basement and getting distressed when she couldn't find you. You've got a loyal dragon there."

Theseus nodded, scratching her behind the ears.  
"She's a wonderful girl. I'm going to have to talk to Grindelwald, find out more about his plans and what has happened, what he was doing."  
"You need to rest," Percival said firmly, reaching out to pet Ashleigh as well. "Theseus, Grindelwald can wait. Our priority is you."

Theseus laughed hollowly, and shook his head.  
"Can't afford to put anyone before MACUSA and the Ministry," he sighed, and Percival's gaze hardened.  
"If that was true, Scamander, you would have left me in that cellar to rot. You know that there are things which matter beyond the orders we have been given. You were the one who taught me that. And you have a child now."  
"I have a dragon."  
"Well that's more of a problem, isn't it?" Percival rasped. "If you left a child, it could be taken to an orphanage. If you died now, I do not believe your dragon would take the news well, and I'm not sure that the orphanages would accept her." There was a teasing edge to his voice now, but at the same time there was genuine sorrow in his eyes. 

Theseus curled up against him, resting his head against Percival's shoulder. At times like this, he could understand why this was how Newt wanted to be held firmly. It was reassuring. Percival shushed him gently.  
"Stay here tonight," Percival asked and Theseus swallowed, still thinking of the trenches, of when that phrase had meant the offer of shared pleasure. Now what it offered was a joint break from pain, a chance to rest somewhere he was safe - and right now, that was what he needed, a kindness that he had to allow.

He was given the chance to rest, his head resting near to Percival's hand, shaking fingers combing through his hair. Percival had been tortured. He should be the one to be comforted - and yet. And yet none of that was how this worked. For now, he was safe.


	6. Chapter 6

He woke to the smell of porridge, and Newt sat on the floor, Ashleigh bouncing along his legs.   
"Good morning," Newt greeted him. "You looked like you needed the rest."

His initial response was to deny it, but glancing at Percival he saw that the American was half-propped up on pillows, reading the newspaper.  
"You needed to rest," Percival agreed. "And I wanted to watch you sleep. When you're sleeping you're peaceful, and you can't get into trouble."

Theseus nodded, holding his hand out towards Ashleigh who jumped up towards him, squawking as she cuddled into him. He watched her for a moment, committing the peace she brought to memory.  
"I can't stay here," he pointed out.  
"Of course not, it's a hospital wing,." Percival answered, then coughed faintly. "But when you get released, you should go to my house. I need all traces of that man removed, and as you and your brother need somewhere to stay... I did offer during the war, it would be churlish to refuse."  
"And Ashleigh?"  
"Ashleigh would be welcome too." Percival promised.

***

Percival did make Ashleigh welcome, in his home and in his heart. Theseus had been unsure, initially, whether staying with Percival would be a good idea. There was too much unsaid between them, a delicate balance which could easily slide over into disaster if the wrong thing was said. But it turned out that they both needed it.

Percival had been tortured in his home. It was hard for him to put his fears aside, to start to see the world as it was rather than the lies Grindelwald had told. For the first few days, Percival had been honestly delighted to discover that aurors he had already mourned for were still among the living. But the lack of trust there was hard - and the fact his face had been stolen made it harder in a way - he jumped when he saw himself in mirrors, uncomfortable with what he saw. 

Theseus hadn't been tortured, but the thought of losing Percival had been a shock, and it had motivated him to undo some of the mistakes he had made. He had nearly lost the man he loved, had nearly had his brother killed - too long, he had denied what happened, told himself that what had passed between Percival and him was merely the brief dalliances that were common in the trenches. Waking up in Percival's spare room and going to cook him breakfast began to change that.

They both had nightmares, and Ashleigh would sometimes start to cry out in sympathy. She could tell her humans were frightened and didn't like it.

Ashleigh was bigger now, big enough that her not being happy with the situation was a potential danger to everyone involved. She seemed to have Theseus's temperament - thankfully a little harder to anger, but gentle and playful unless those she cared about were threatened. Theseus had surrendered to letting Ashleigh sleep in his bed - it meant she was less likely to worry, and the weight of her on his legs helped to ground him.

One night, before the slightest hint of dawn had touched the sky, Theseus woke up to find that Ashleigh had one of his hands in her mouth. She tugged lightly - managing not to even break the skin, but still pulling at him. After a moment, he registered that his hand was being partially devoured by a dragon, and tapped her on the nose.

She released his hand, but started to make a low rumbling noise, one that Newt had said was a dragon crying.  
"Easy girl," Theseus murmured, reaching out to stroke her and admiring how her head was larger than his hand now. "It's okay, you just can't eat me, I still love you..."  
She darted slightly out of reach, and whined again. He got to his feet to continue petting her, and she darted into the other room.

He followed, and found the room was in disarray. He drew his wand, looking around, half expecting to find Grindelwald hidden behind a curtain, his shoes poking out beneath. What he found instead was that Percival was hidden in the cupboard, his knees to his chest and face tear streaked, screaming out in utter silence and terror.

When he saw Theseus, he clung to him like a man who was drowning. Theseus considered - Percival was still mostly asleep, but only a monster could abandon him to this fear. Waking him for coffee might help, but it might disorient him further, and the same applied to moving him to a different room. Options considered, Theseus had laid down on the bed, Percival beside him, and Ashleigh flopped against their legs.

He rubbed her eye ridges until he fell asleep, and woke up to find that in the night he had shifted to cuddle against Percival's chest. Percival's hand was resting on his back, and Ashleigh was entertaining herself, chasing her tail as she circled on the floor.

Theseus had taken a risk then, leaning in and kissing Percival's cheek, and holding his hand. When Percival woke up, he didn't throw Theseus away, and from that night on it just became natural for the three of them to collapse into bed together. Theseus felt like he'd found where he belonged.

Of course, as time passed and the activities that took place in bed expanded, Ashleigh became more of a handful - it was one thing to throw a baby dragon out into the hallway when you needed some private time, but a dragon the size of a large dog or small pony was a danger to the structural integrity of locked doors.


End file.
